Concrete-mixing machine.



PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907. L. C. ROBERTS.

CONCRETE MIXING MACHINE.

APMIGMION` FILED MAR.6.1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Sum/nto@ Witnesses No. 841,273. PATENTED JAN. I5', 1907 L. o. ROBERTS.CONCRETE MIXING MACHINE.

APPLGAT-ION FILED MAR.6,1906.

'4 SHEETS-SHEET '2.

.NNIMNL No. 841,273. PATENTBD JAN. l5, 1907.

L. C. ROBERTS. Y

CONCRETE MIXING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED MAR.6,1906.

' 4 SHEBTS-SHBET a.

*wil eases w e n L w m UNITED sTATns BATENT OFFCE.

LEONARD o. ROBERTS, or Nonna, New YORK. AssieNOR or oNR-TmRD To san URLe. MCTARNAGHAN AND ONE-THIRD To WILLIAM H; JEFES,

BOTH OF FzlLLMORE, NEW YORK.

Speecation of Letters Patent. y

Patented Jan. 15, 1907.

Application filed March 6. 1906. Serial No. 304.568.

lo (tl/l, zak/120771, t 'mfr/y concern:

Be it known that l', LEONARD C. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nunda, in the county of Livingston vand State of New York,have invented certain new and useful 'improvements in Concrete- MixingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention contemplates certain new xo and useful improvements inconcrete-mixing machines of that type which are provided with threehoppers for sand, stone, and cement, respectively, and a mixing-drumdesigned to receive the ingredients 'from the hop` pers and tothoroughly commingle the same,` first in a dry state and then wet, themixed materials bei-ng nally discharged. from the mixing-drum either inacontinuous vflow or in batches of predetermined quantities. l

The Aobject of my invention is to provide an improved mixing-machine ofthis character which will embody characteristics of strength, lightness,durability, and efficiency of operation and which will be compara- 2 5tively cheap to construct, and the invention consists in certainconstructions, arrangements, and combinations of parts hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

For a full description of the invention and' the merits thereof, andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of` construction of. themeans for effecting the result, reference is -to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, inzivhich'- Figure l is a sideelevation of my improvedy concrete-mixing machine, partly broken away.F'g. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transversesectional view taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa similar view taken approximately on the line 4. 4 of Fig. 2. Fig.. 5is a detail cross-sectional view illustrating the shafts of themixing-drum and the mixing-shovels carried thereby. Fig. 6 is a detailperspective view of one of the shovels, the arm carrying the same beingshown in section. Fig. 7 is adetail perspective view illustrating thebatch-chamber. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view ol' the series ofindependently-adjustable spring-arms, which together constitute a.yielding gate for the discharge endsjof the stone and sand hoppers.

wheels, as shown, and serves 'as a platform for a motor 2, which in thepresent instance is a .steam-engine of the 'vertically-ieciprocat-ingtype fed with steam from a generator or boiler 3. Extending across theside bars of the framework in spaced relation to each other are twocross-bars 4 and 5 in the form of castings, secured to the side bars ofthe framework by bolts or the like. These crossvbars 4 and 5 constitutethe main supports for the sand, stone, and cement trays for theone endofthe mixing-drum and for the three hoppers of the machine.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, it will be seen that two semicireularplates 6 are arranged side by side between the cross-bars or castings 4and 5, with their outer flanged 8o edges resting upon and. riveted orotherwise secured to said cross-bars. These semicircular plates 6 extendlongitudinally and are preferably of sheet-steel or similar lightr andstrong metal or material and constitute the troughs or trays for thesand and stone. The adjacent or inner edges of said plates receivebetween them the downwardly-extending [lange 8 of a Y-shaped sheet-steeltrough or tray i), being bolted to said flange, as shown. 9o The tray Q,as seen in Fig. 3, is smaller than the trays formed by the plates 6 andis 1ocated between and somewhat above said plates and is intended forthe cement. Each of the trays constituted by the plates 6 and E) may be,if desired, and preferably are, covered with sheet-steel linings 7,intended to receive the wear of the materials, so that when they areworn out by the abrasive action they may be renewed and replaced byothers without the necessity of replacing the enti re tray.

i lVhile I have shown the cement-tray, as Well as the oth/er trays, asprovided with one IOO that this particular ,tray be with the lining! 'Aoasting 11 is mounted upon the crossbaror y"bracket and with' said-bar'is providedlwith three lower `bearings'or boxes 12a, intended toreceive shafts, and with'an upper half-boxing 13a. The hoppers areintended to be .supported directlyl over the 4pers (designated A, B, andC) are in the presi cross-bars 4 and 5, With their discharge ends.directly .oyertl1e.,trays,7 and 8; The hopent instance composed of sixpieces of suitably light and strong sheet-steel, which produt-.es arigid structure which is possessed of the-[desirable 'characteristic oflightness.

Thesefsix pieces comprise two side plates 12,

edd platesl I13,v and: Aintermediate plates .14. The side'pl'ates 12kare each provided with outwardly-extending angular ends 15,' and oneiofsaid side plate's is recessed-on its lower edgeto accurately fit thecontour ofthe up' per edge of the casting 11, as best seen in Fig.

4, saidplate being directly thus supported on said.casting'.I The otherside -plate is of exactly the' sameshap'e as-'fthe side'A plate sup.-

A portedon the castingl 1.; but its lower edge .stamped in riesame ShareS0 t the f "outwardly-diverging vends of provides lfeed-openings'for thematerial to discharge fromthe hoppers into the mixingdrurr1`,'asbestse'enin'Fi'g. 3. This construction;'enablesbothbfthe side lates tobe fiat by bending the ends' in opposite Adirections they may be usedfor either side .of the hop er con- "struction and the same dies usedfor oth. yThe end plates 13 are secured inv lace to the side lates bybeing flanged therearound and 4` tilted thereto, asf-best seen in Fig.2. The intermediate platesjli are secured to the oppositev side yplatesand extend acrossthe same with their lower endsconverging and spacedfromv 'each other to meetthe opposite edges fthe' tray 9, for .whichthey constitute thei 'seen that the hoppers' A and B, that are"inyter'ided'f'or vsand and stone, are each provide-'d` 'with atransversely-widened mouth lportiom I "enablingfthe 'wheell arrows torea ly disl charge their contents intofsaid hoppers, and

that 'the intermediate hopperAC-'for the 'ceto lrefceiv'e Iits'contentsan elevating-conveyer or anfel'evated' platform `would be necessary.'Hence the' operation of discharging' the in- 'gredie'ntsV into thehoppers is'facilitated.

" 1n each' of the trays' 6 there is mounted a conveyer' infthe form of'aworm 16, mounted b'ri ash'aft 17, and inl 'the tray 9 there is mounted aconveyer composed of a series of blades 1 8; mounted upon a Yshaft y21,which also forms f' A'B y'fthe arrangementA described it will bef-'-of'these linings, v) do not dee-11iTiff",necessary?.iThe'shafts 17 .and19 extend'outthroughthe boxes 12a, in which they are journaled, whilethe shaft 1-9 extends" out through-the halfboxing 13 of thecasting 11.yThe ends of the said sh'afts are also journaled v in a.- cross-bar .orcasting. 20, .provided with suitable boxings therefor,v and theboxingfor the s haft 19 is formed in a vertically-extending standard ing ofthethree on t ebracket orI cross-bar ,20, asbest seen in Fig. 4. Inconnection' with ythese three shafts-namely, the two shafts "17 andtheshaft 19-there is, another shaft, (desig`nated22,) which is .the mainshaft ofthe machine and is connected at one end t'o they driving-shaftof the motor v2, as seen in Fig. 2. The shaft 22 is journaled inthemiddle boxing of the three formed inthe crossbar 20, (shown in Fig. 4,)and it also passes through and is journal'ed in the middle boxing 121-of the castings 5 and 11. (Shown in Fig'. 10.) At its opposite end theshaft 22-is qiournaled in a boxing in an end cross-bar 23.

(Shown best in Fig. 2.) The shaft 22 is prol vided with a loose pinion24, meshing with a similar pinion 25 on one of the shafts 17, `and itmaybe coupled to itsy pinion24 by means of a clutch 26. y Each of theshafts1 7 and 19 is provided with a sprocket-wheel 27, and asprocket-chain 28-extends around all three 'sprocket-wheels. By thisarrangement as the shaft 22 is rotated by the motor 2 it will drive oneof the shafts 17 by means ofthe pinions 24 and 25, and the said drivenshaft 17 will in turn drive the other two shafts 17 and 19 by means. ofthe sprocket wheels and chain.

part of the middle box- IOOv The material fed into the hoppers passe: i

into the bottoms of the hoppers constituted bythe three trays beforedescribed and by means of the revolving conveyers is carried f outwardlyinto the receiving end of the mix;- ing-drur'n 29, which is preferablyof sheetsteel and is suitably supported in the framework 1 in alongitudinal position therein.

ln order to insure accuracy of feed, l provide a'spring-ate for thedischarge ends of thek `hoppers and B, that are intended for the-'-Sandand-stne, said gate acting to properly crowd the materials downinto t e conveyers to insure that the feed will be maintained at a..uniform rate. This spring-gate, as best seen in Figs. 38, and 9, iscomposed oftwo lseries of vertically-extending spring-steel bars 30, thelower ends of which are curved to conform tothe cross-sectional contour0f the conveyers. These spring-bars are all held with their lower endsslightly spaced from the upper Sides of the conveyers and below thelower edge of the rearniost side plate of thehopper construction, asbest seen' in Fig. 3, by means of a transverse clamping` bar 31, whichextends vacross the outer sides of the bars 30 neary their upper ends,and by means of bolts 32 .A extending between every IIS two bars andsecured to tlie reariiiost end )late of the hopper construction,securely binds all of said bars in the proper position and at th:` same.time provides mea-ns whereby any one ol' the bars may be adjustedverticall independently ol the others or maybe removed and replaced by afresh bar should any ol the bars become broken or need repair. As shownbest in Fig. il, the inner side ol the castiiigllis provided with curvedllanges 33, so that the material fed into the trays will not work intothe beaings of the shafts t7, because said' tlanges 33 extend around theupper sides of the conveyors at one end thereol'.

The shaft 22: in addition to being the driving-shaft for the conveyingmechanism that feeds the materials to the mixing-drum, is the shaftwhich carries the mixing devices. These in the present instance compriseshovels 34, carried on the ends of radial arms 35, which are secured tothe shaft in any desired manner, as by the socket-pieces 35". As bestseen in Fig.v 2, the shovels are arranged in a. pnrality oflongitudinally-extending series, the slioves of one series beingstaggereil with reationto the other series. Each of the shovels 34 is ofpeculiar formation, as best seen in Fig. 6. Each shovel comprises twowings 36, extending on opposite sides ot" the arm 3.5, the rearmost Wingbeing approximately twice aslarge as the foremost wing, or that wingwhich is adjacent the receiving end of the mixing-drum. Each wing isslightly bent upwardly at its outer edge, as indicated at 37, and eachwing is further provided at its rear corneror end with aportion slightlybent up, as indicated at 38. By means of this particular construc- Xtion of shovel as the shovels revolve in the drum they will catch up thematerial and throw it inwardly away from the wall of the drum instead ofscraping it alongsaid wall,

`while at the same timea large portion of the material acted upon byeach shovel will be thrown rearwardly toward the discharge end of thedrum, while the remainder will be thrown in the reverse direction towardthe leed end or receiving end of the drum, so as to he acted upon againby the same shovel and succeeding.shovels llence it will be,

seen that a thorough coiiimingling ol' the iii-- gredieiits will beell'ected, because the shovels f will not. scrape the material1ear\\"a.rdly along the walls ol the drum. but will throw it upwardlyand toward tlie center, where it will be caught by the succeeding shoveland a. thorough back-and-l'ortli agitation ellected.

ni.-it,er`ials are eommiiigled in a. dry state and then are preferablymixed wet by means ol a spray -pipe Bt), which may supply steam orwater.

.\t the discharge end ol the mixing-drum l have provided a.batch-chamber, which in the present instance is composed of a sheetmetalangular body 40, boltedlto the end of' the drum and projected outwardlytherefrom, as shown in Fig. 2. The said body is intended to contain abatch of concrete ci predetermined size-say one-half of a yard* and ispriniarilyintended for the top dressing. It is rectangular in shape, asshown, and is provided ,with abottom-discliarge opening the side wallsoi which .are inclined. An end gate 4l is hinged at opposite sidesbynieans of ears and studs to the opposite sides of the body portion 4()and is provided with an angular lower portion 42, terminating in aforwardly-extending angular edge 43. The end gate 4i may be swung towardthe body portion and away fromthe same to close and open the dischargeend of the body portion the end gate 41 is held in an open position, so

that the mixed materials may be. continuously discharged through themouth o r disv charge-opening of the hatch-chamber ,1 but when it 1sdesired'to operate the machine as a batch-miXer-#for top dressing, forinstancethe end gate 41 is closed. By means of the angular portion 42 ofthe end gate with its angular edge 68 the closing movement of the endgate will bring said edge 43 underneath and past the lower rear edge ofthe mixing-drum, or rather the lower rear edge of the body portion 4()of the batch-chamber, with a somewhat shearing action, and this actionwill result in forcing the material upward and backward int-o themixing-drinn and will avoid any clogging such as would result if it wereatten'ipted to close the end gate merely with an abutting act-ionagainst the body portion of the liatcb-chamber.

As it is important that the top dressing shall contaiuiio lumpysubstances and as such substances by their own weight tend to l liealong the bottom of the mixing-drum, I

l l l i g closure 47 iii a direction to close the lower .'\t thtIreceiving end ol the mixing-drum the end of the opening iirst andthence. to the upperend, the closing movement being effected in anupward direction. Hence as the closure 47 is turned upwardly to closethe opening 46 its advancing edge in the closing action will sweepupwardly through the outpouring materials and assist the easy closingIOO IIC

'of the said closure 47, Whereas if the closure l ,l 47 turned in tend:to clog".

y an' opposite direction it Would Asbest seenin Figs. 1, 2, and 3 and asabove described, the conveyer forr the cement embodiesl Va, seriesv ofangular blades 18, mounted upon the shaft 19, insteadof a continuousWormer screw. By the provision of a conveyer ofthisA character for thecement it is manifes'tjthat no matter how lumpy the cement maybe When itis received for action by the blade conveyer, as' it is most liable tobe'luinpy in damp weather, for instance, the blades bein separatey fromeach other Willi effectively c o the cement and insure that 'it shall bedisc arged into the mixing-drum in a comminuted or lulverized condition.i

Having` thus described the invention, what is claimed as newjisl y 1.yIn a concrete-mixing machine, a mixing-drum, a shaft mounted yto rotatein said drum and extending lon itudinally thereof, arms extendingradially arranged in a plurality ,of longitudinally-extending series thearmslof one series' being vstaggered Wit relation to lthe arms o'fl theother series, `means for turning said shaft, and shovels on the outer:endof eachl arm, each"shovel embodying tWo oppositely-ex-I tendingcurvedwings of different sizes, Where` by a portion of the materialacted upon by each shovel Willbe thrown inwardly and rear- Wardly forsuccessive action thereon by. the same shovel, While the remainder ofthe material `acted upon by said shovel will be sapeva 'thrown in theoposite direction toward thel nextshovel oft e adjacent series.

2. In a concrete-mixing machine, the com- I lar edge flange, designedtoL shutv across the oWer edge of the body portion, as and for the 4purpose set forth.

3. In a concrete-mixing machine, the combination with a mixing-drum,`mixing demixing devices,o'f a batch-chamber comprising a body portion`secured to and .projected from the rear end of themiXing-drum,

` -an end gate for said bodyy portion and deom said shaft and f signed-t0 close a discharge-opening therein,

"said end gate being formed with. a draw-ofi" opening, and a closure forsaid open1ng, sa1d closure being ,designed to close the opening from thelower end ofthe same, toward its upper end, as-and forthe purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof fl allx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

vices therein, and ymeanslfor actuating the LEONARD o. ROBERTS. [L 5,1,i A

' Witnesses: v

SAMUEL G, MCTARNAGHAN, WILLIAM H. JEFFs,

